Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing an image of a vehicle surroundings of a vehicle with at least one camera by recording a first partial image in a first position or alignment of the camera and recording at least a second partial image in at least a second position or alignment of the camera, each partial image corresponding to the entire coverage area of the camera. Moreover, the present invention relates to an imaging device for producing an image of a vehicle surroundings of a vehicle with an appropriate camera.
Background Art
Vehicles have many driver assistance systems for supporting the driver when operating the vehicle. Such assistance systems include, for example, a parking assistance system, an ACC system, a lane keeping system, a lane changing system, a main beam assistant and the like.
Of these assistance systems, some employ cameras installed in the vehicle to provide the driver with information relating to the surroundings of the vehicle. In this case, either the current image from the camera, or current images from cameras, are displayed individually or in combination, or the individual images are processed such that a virtual image arises from a bird's eye view. Likewise known are systems which employ different sensors (based mainly on ultrasound) to scan the surroundings of the vehicle and to calculate the distances between one's own vehicle and the obstacles, which are used to warn the driver. Likewise known are systems which calculate a trajectory into detected parking spaces, and can maneuver the vehicle semiautomatically into the parking space by driving the steering. When such systems are operated separately, it can be difficult for the driver to assign the warning, or what is happening, to the camera. Moreover, it is not always to be seen from the image which obstacle is critical and which is not.
Printed publication DE 10 2006 000 245 A1 discloses a parking support method and a corresponding device. A navigation device links image data acquired by means of an image data acquisition unit to a position at which the image data were recorded, and stores the data as earlier image data in an image memory. The control unit further determines whether the vehicle has entered at least one designated parking area. If it is determined that the vehicle has entered the designated parking area, then an earlier image is put onto a direction display on the basis of the earlier image data which were recorded from the designated parking area, and a current image is put onto a direction display on the basis of image data obtained at the current position of the vehicle.
Moreover, printed publication U.S. Pat. No. 7,212,653 B2 discloses an image processing system for a vehicle with which images are recorded from the surroundings of the vehicle. The images are stored, and a processed image which is obtained by processing an earlier image which was recorded before an instantaneous position was reached is overlaid on a part of a current image which cannot be detected by the camera.
Furthermore, printed publication EP 1 094 337 B1 describes a system for aiding parking. An image around the vehicle is recorded, and the driver is informed which 3D object is located there. The system has an image recording part for recording, with a single camera during the transition of the vehicle from a first to a second location, first and second images around the vehicle at a first and second location and at a first and second time. Moreover, the system has an object distance calculating part for calculating a distance from the vehicle to the 3D object by using the position of the 3D object in each of the first and second images, and the transition data of the vehicle. Finally, there is provided an image producing device for producing a third image, which is based on the images and the recorded data.
It follows that it is known to produce an image of the vehicle surroundings from a plurality of images recorded sequentially at different vehicle positions by means of a camera system. The sequentially recorded images are either used to determine the distances to obstacles in the camera image, or to fill up image areas covered by obstacles with appropriate sections from past images.